How to identify a first printing
- Stated 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' on the copyright page on early printings
- Full descending number line ending in 1 (e.g., '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); lowest digit present = printing number, so a true first shows the '1'
- Founded 1983 (Louis Rubin / Shannon Ravenel), Chapel Hill, NC; became a Workman imprint and is now part of Hachette Book Group via Workman — number-line conventions are standard modern American trade
- Cross-check the stated-edition line against the number line; both should agree for a true first printing
Notable points & cautions
- A confirmed dealer point of reference: Julia Alvarez 'Something to Declare' (1998) first printing carries a full number line
- Early-1980s titles (pre-Workman distribution maturity) can be scarce; rely on number line plus stated 'First Edition'
- Book-club editions are uncommon for Algonquin literary titles but watch for absent number line / 'Book Club Edition' on any reprint-house copies
- Workman/Algonquin did NOT have an idiosyncratic house code; treat as conventional stated-first + number-line
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Algonquin Young Readers, Shannon Ravenel Books (editorial line). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Stated 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' on the copyright page on early printings Full descending number line ending in 1 (e.g., '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); lowest digit present = printing number, so a true first shows the '1'
Does Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill use a number line?
Full descending number line ending in 1 (e.g., '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); lowest digit present = printing number, so a true first shows the '1'
Is a book-club edition a Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. A confirmed dealer point of reference: Julia Alvarez 'Something to Declare' (1998) first printing carries a full number line
What era does this cover?
This covers Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill (1983–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- Dirty Work (Larry Brown, 1989)
- Facing the Music (Larry Brown, 1988)
- In Memory of Junior (Clyde Edgerton, 1992)
- Joe (Larry Brown, 1991)
- Killer Diller (Clyde Edgerton, 1991)
- Purple Hibiscus (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2003)
- Redeye: A Western (Clyde Edgerton, 1995)
- The Floatplane Notebooks (Clyde Edgerton, 1988)
- The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Kelly Barnhill, 2016)
- Walking Across Egypt (Clyde Edgerton, 1987)
- Where Trouble Sleeps (Clyde Edgerton, 1997)